Hearing aids need tune-ups, too!
By Carrie Adamson, Au.D.

When it comes to my car, there are four things that I know how to do well:

• Press the remote control to open the door
• Get in
• Turn the engine on
• Put the car in drive

That is the extent of my mechanical skills. For the rest of  my car care, I rely on technology and the service at my dealership.

Many patients I see have similar relationships with their hearing aids. They put them in and, with the exception of a battery change now and then, expect them to work tirelessly and without fail.

But hearing aids, like cars, need a tune-up now and then to work well. When you buy a hearing aid, you should be given instructions about routine care and maintenance. This includes information about daily cleanings with brushes and picks, and how to use sanitizing spray and drying containers. Doing so helps remove bacteria and reduce the damaging effects of moisture.

Like your car, your hearing aids and ears need to be checked regularly to be sure the hearing aids are working up to specifications, and that your ears are clear of wax build-up.

Patients often buy hearing aids and never go back to have them checked. Over time, the hearing aids become so corroded from earwax and other damage that they can no longer be fixed. It doesn't have to be that way! Try these tips for keeping hearing aids
“running smoothly”:

• Schedule regular visits to your audiologist—at least twice a year.
• If you don’t like your hearing aids or are concerned about how well they
  work, don’t wait until your next appointment. Call your hearing health care
  professional right away.
• If you are looking for a place to buy hearing aids, or to have your hearing
  aids serviced, think of your car. Pick a place that has a good service
  department, where you don't feel pressured to buy, and where you have
  someone you can turn to if something goes wrong.

Carrie Adamson is a Doctor of Audiology with Advanced Hearing Aid Center in Greece and a member of Preferred Care’s health care professional network.

For more information

• Visit the Hearing Aids section of the Preferrd Care online Health Encyclopedia.
• Also visit the Health Encyclopedia for more information about Hearing Loss.

Posted: September 20, 2006